Ok Education time:
1. Bruins are a defense first type of team so they can make playoffs with very average D group
2. Bruins will be a little better next year so playoffs are already a reality with current group.....now you just slot in our many young talents and see what they have - I wasn't sure at first but I like what Sweeney is doing now!!!
3. Bruins philosophy is NOT to mortgage future talent to try and do something (take a run) now, make sure you have most of the pieces, stay healthy and maybe make moves at trade deadline makes more sense!
4. McAvoy will be top pairing D guy VERY quickly!! And it could be this coming season!! It's quite plain to see for Bruins fans!
5. Bruins are set very nicely with their prospects and the big team is very competitive (see #3) so no need to rush anything/ Continue to develop and maybe take Providence to finals for a few years so they get a good taste of what it takes!!!
6. Anybody who is not a die-hard Bruin fan will not understand.....and someone who totally values fantasy hockey more than the real thing will understand even less.....

Sorry for the truth....

When it comes to GM's being "friends" I don't think they take those feelings into consideration. Their job is to give the best results for their team and when you've been in the business as long as these guys have, you understand that. The reason I would work with VAN is because Benning was part of that group that drafted Spooner and he's very high on Spooner. He maybe willing to offer more then other GM's because of his familiarity.

Personally I'd be happy with a young cheap controllable winger with upside.

Carlo package for Kuznetsov or Burakovsky?

What would you take for Carlo? (straight up or with picks)

I'll be honest, I'm hesitant to give up good young defenders. Look at the teams left in the playoffs and you'll see a trend....

NSH - Ekholm, Subban, Josi
OTT - Karlsson, Ceci
ANA - Fowler, Vatenen, Lindholm
PIT - Cole, Letang, Maatta

Good teams are built from the back out. If I'm Boston, I'm looking to add to the defense and not take away from it. McAvoy/Carlo give you half of your top 4 for the next 10+ years.

You're right for most of it. Just want to point out Ceci is becoming a bust. Fans in Ottawa really dislike him and I don't blame them. He's becoming a pretty sluggish player who cant win battles and cant keep up.

I'd gladly take Ceci on the Bruins. The guy played most of the season with Dion the human pylon. He's still 23yr old and trying to play the hardest position in hockey. Right now he's logging the 2nd most TOI for OTT behind only Karlsson.

I can see why he seems valuable, he had a good start to his career but I'm telling you that the next time you watch Ottawa just focus in on him. If a player is circling the offensive zone and he's trying to defend, that player will almost always beat him. Its the fact he has to make repeated wacks to the arms of opponents to give himself a chance to defend them. Its crazy to think Ottawa turned down a Drouin for Ceci trade last year and now TB would turn down that trade.

Wait, so how about Brodin? Brodin to Boston? who likes that idea?

Depends on what Boston gives up. He'd be a good target.

Brodin would be a good target. Would be willing to give up Zboril 1st +. Minny might not be interested though

Have been barking up that tree for over a month now. MINNY fans seem to think they can get a kings ransom for a guy they may lose at the expansion draft.

I wouldn't give up that package. Minny is in a tough spot, no need to help them out with those level of assets. I'd give them Morrow + 1st + mid-prospect

I'd give any LHD/RHD not named Lauzon, Zboril, Carlo, McAvoy + 1st + mid-spec. Minnesota may have a bit more leverage if they have interest from other teams, but it won't be much more b/c every team knows that it's either get something for Brodin or potentially lose him.

Don't see them losing Brodin.

Um...If Minny leaves Brodin exposed, they will 100% lose him. Why wouldn't Vegas take him? He'd be a better option than Scandella.

What about Bean from Carolina?He could be a top pairing d-man like Carlo.He was drafted before McAvoy. I'm not sure what it will take to get him though, probably Spooner

It would take more than spooner.

Spooner and C.Miller for Bean?

Bean is one of Carolina's top defensive prospects. They would get more for him than that. I get that CAR is very deep defensively, but I don't see them moving Bean right now...

Have to imagine it'd take Spooner + 1st and maybe a mid level prospect. Young quality d prospects are at a premium right now. I'd prefer to go after Hayden anyways since he's probably closer to NHL ready. de Hann is also an interesting option.

If you actually watched Bean play you would see that he relies a lot on the other players on his team. He doesn't seem to be able to carry the load and will most likely be a PP specialist. He still is one of Carolina's top D prospects so I can't see him being traded.

Would Anaheim move Lindholm?Fowler would be the better option,but he only has one year left on his contract .The asking price will be extremely high for either of them.

They just signed lindholm. Don't see them moving him at all. Also, if you want lindholm, say goodbye to Pastrnak+

What would it cost us for Fowler?Pastrnak+ also?

I don't see ANA getting a player like Pastrnak for a defenseman who is signed for 1 year.